Category: Homemade Italian

A frittata is a flat Italian style omelette in which the ingredients are mixed into the eggs instead of being stuffed like a traditional omelette. The top layer is the creative, artistic finishing touch. I like to serve a gorgeous frittata by using vibrant colored vegetables. Like a traditional omelette, a frittata can be healthy, or not.

How to make a healthy frittata:

Use egg whites
Add healthy vegetables
Sprinkle in chia seeds

In this frittata, I wanted to use some beautiful prosciutto cotto. Prosciutto cotto is the highest quality Italian cooked ham with a smooth mild flavor. Perfectly paired with a gooey mozzarella or fontina on a panini, or in this case, baked into a frittata.

Antonio Branduzzi must be proud to have the Colangelo family celebrate his legacy by continuing the traditions and recipes of Il Piccolo Forno. As a testament to the late baker’s impeccable reputation with colleagues, customers and friends, it was no surprise when Braduzzi’s close friends Nicholas and Denese Colangelo decided to carry on the baker’s legacy.

This framed photo and tribute hangs on the wall of Colangelo’s Bakery.Antonio Branduzzi (1949-2007)

Located adjacent to La Prima Espresso Company and sharing a common walkway, Colangelo’s Bakery is a natural spot to grab a pastry or a slice. I found Colangelo’s Bakery with my kids, ages 5 and 3. They are the perfect height to spot the square pizza with the tiny pepperoni in the case. We all fell in love with this pizza.

“Mommy, Can we go to Cowangewo’s??” Would you say no to that face? This was Bella’s 3rd birthday and her birthday lunch request!

After meeting Denese Colangelo and her son Nicholas, I knew I had to make my kids’ favorite pizza and spend some time here- yeah, I already somehow felt like part of the family.

Customers are family in the quaint bakery on 21st street in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. I was introduced to many people and saw so many faces light up while ordering their “usuals.”

Located on 21st between Penn Ave. and Liberty Ave.

The vibe?
Sit outside at the tables, hover at the pub tables inside, or take it to go!

It was a busy Saturday morning and the fresh pastries lined the sill between the case and the kitchen. My eyes were bugging out of my head when Nicholas Colangelo greeted me and mentioned the pizza we would be making. As I was surrounded by frittata, mele, ricotta pie, Danish, cinnamon sticks…I thought “What?”

View from the kitchen – Colangelo’s Bakery

Oh yes! I nearly forgot about the square pizza with the tiny pepperoni.

Nicholas mixed the dough in his super mixer, flattened it in the sheeter, shaped it in the rectangular pan, passed over it with the docker, proofed it…

Nicholas is so passionate and motivated. A skilled baker, working many nights with his father, Nicholas is learning the biz by having side jobs at other restaurants and pizzerias. His dream? To share his love of fishing with children by co-founding the area’s first fishing school with fellow fisherman Luke Wholey. While running the family’s successful bakery/restaurant, of course.

The pizza is then topped with the finest, freshest, local ingredients and baked. Ezzo pepperoni, an old fashioned made pepperoni from Columbus, OH, to Grande mozzarella, Colangelo’s Bakery does not cut any corners.

Nicholas Colangelo and the famous square pizza with the tiny pepperoni!

A secret garlic olive oil sauce here, a sprinkle of a secret herb blend dashed there, I knew I would never be able to replicate this one! Oh well, we know where to get it!

Nicholas says the significance of the secret toppings lie in the Colangelo’s philosophy, “Add flavor after the best ingredients are used. That is what makes our food so classic and naturally delicious.”

As lunch time approached, I was surprised to see the menu items being ordered. Salads, focaccia, Beans and greens? One of my favorites!

Since it was brunch-ish, Nicholas topped my beans and greens with an egg. Yummy!

While taste testing…
Denese told me the story of Antonio Branduzzi and his Mele, one of the many original recipes the bakery serves in the great baker’s honor. Once the health department questioned the refrigeration of his egg custard Mele, Branduzzi told them, it would be ruined. He made many other delicious Mele fillings after this. They sell so fast it makes no difference. One night in the refrigerator is ok, says Denese.

So since that Saturday morning, I have visited Colangelo’s Bakery and had the beans and greens with sausage, the cannoli, the avocado salad, the ricotta pie and much more. The place that was once only the square pizza with the tiny pepperoni is now Colangelo’s Bakery. Everything is Delicious. Perfect. Amazing.

Denese makes the house salad dressing. A tomato vinaigrette! Delicious and refreshing! The bread??? Warm, fresh…amazing!

Margherita Pizza
(Inspired by Nicholas at Colangelo’s Bakery)

One of the most basic and most delicious pizzas.
To make traditional Margherita pizza,
Cover dough’s surface in your favorite sauce, or chunky tomatoes drained,leaving a 1/2 inch border.
Add sliced buffalo mozzarella.
Drizzle olive oil.
Salt and pepper.
Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is melted and bottom is golden brown.
Remove from oven and top with fresh basil.
Enjoy!

Quinoa is a superfood packed with nine amino acids making it a complete protein. Although this is common in meats, plants do not typically contain complete proteins. Quinoa comes most commonly in red, black and white. Quinoa has a nutty taste and the white cooks the fluffiest with a more rice-like texture.

Quinoa needs rinsed before cooking. It absorbs the water and is ready to eat!

I frequently substitute quinoa for meat, as well as rice. Give your family a healthier alternative and more energy!!

Don’t mess with my sauce! For those of us who make homemade pasta sauce, more than likely, we are in agreement about one thing: Our sauce is the best sauce. Whether it’s grandma’s recipe, Giada’s recipe, or from the internet ; ), we take possession and will defend our sauce anyday, anytime. Back up.

Ok, maybe too strong.

Sunday Sauce with Homemade Italian Sausage

So many different recipes and ingredients all yield a great sauce! From crushed tomatoes, whole tomatoes, and San Marzano tomatoes, to veggies, meat, and spices, there are many different types of sauce and cooking variations.

I get many questions and comments regarding sauce do’s and dont’s. The latest question is “Should I brown my meat before putting it in the sauce?” Great question!

I don’t brown…but there are great reasons for both methods! Ground meatballs, Italian sausage, pork, or ox tail, can all be put directly into the sauce raw as long as you are cooking the sauce until the meat is cooked. I cook my sauce for approximately 4-6 hours.

Here are 5 observations I have made after trying both methods:

1. I love putting my round meatballs into the sauce and having them come out round! I have tried browning meatballs and it caused some kind of cone head problem. My meatballs ended up like triangles.

I have browned when I didn’t have 4-6 hours to cook the sauce! If you don’t mind 3-sided meatballs!

This is the last dish I will be cooking for fish week! It’s Luke Wholey’s tonight for the fish week grand finale. Cool, right?
I call this dish linguini clams because there is no actual pasta sauce to scoop on top. The linguini soak up the liquid, and the clams, chunks of tomato, pieces of onion, herbs, and grated Parmesan cheese stick to the linguini. In my opinion, this is a perfect linguini clams. Much different than a bowl of pasta with a traditional marinara and added clams.

I have ordered linguini clams or cioppino in Italian restaurants for years, paying close attention to the preparation variations. Notice how the dish is not saucy, but not dry! Slippery noodles with surprises hidden throughout.

I say no shirt required because we have rookie pasta twirlers that splatter sauce everywhere and eat in their underwear ; )

As children, we would eat Sunday spaghetti in our underwear at my grandma and pappap Signorino’s house so we didn’t get sauce stains on our clothes!

Meanwhile, bring salted water to a boil in a stockpot for the linguini.

This Setaro Fettuce dry pasta is the closest to homemade. It is so heavily floured and cooks perfectly to the al dente bite. Best pasta ever! I get mine at Penn Mac in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. $10 http://www.pennmac.com/items/4895//setaro-fettucce-pasta

Add linguini and cook according to package or until al dente approximately 7-9 minutes.

Add clams to sauce pan and cook while linguini is boiling. Clams will cook within 10 minutes.

Drain the linguini and add slowly into the sauce pan while mixing well.

Before photo. The mixing and absorbing of the liquid is the most important part of this dish. Almost like mixing homemade sausage! Your arms will get tired!

Coat the linguini until your linguini/clam ratio is satisfactory.

After photo.See how the liquid is absorbed by the pasta. Continue to mix well so the clams are in every bite!

Scoop onto a serving plate.

Serve with a loaf of ciabatta bread and butter. Always top with freshly grated parmesan cheese!

Sometimes I only have 20 minutes to cook dinner! A quick San Marzano tomato pan sauce mixed with cooked pasta is quick, light, and delicious! In the summertime, I include fresh vegetables and fresh herbs! Here is one of my favorite summertime dishes!

The key to a great tasting quick pan sauce is getting the acidity out of the veggies by tossing them with olive oil and garlic before adding them to the tomatoes.

Simply adding squash and zucchini to the tomatoes creates a sour taste. Follow these simple steps and your simple pan sauce will be transformed into a gourmet dinner!

Super easy and so flavorful, a summer vegetable pasta can be dressed up or down! Serve it with a salad and fresh ciabatta or by itself!

I am very “old school,” so everyone says, and old school ravioli making involves a hard surface, eggs-flour-water, a hand crank pasta machine, some filling, a knife, and a fork. I do not use pasta making KitchenAid attachments or ravioli cutters. I’m so fancy. Ha!

Crack the eggs on top of the flour pile and mix with your hands using a squeezing molding motion.

Add water 1 tbsp. at a time and continue kneading until a dough ball forms.

If the dough is sticky, add 1 -2 tbsp. flour. If the dough is dry and cracked looking, add water 1-2 tbsp. at a time.
This is the trickiest part. I always keep a pile of flour and a a little bowl of water right on the work surface. So many external factors are involved with dough making including humidity and air temperature.

When you feel that the dough ball is malleable and well mixed, break off a handful of dough and flatten it into an oval.

Sprinkle some flour on the pasta machine and work surface.

Starting at #1 setting, feed the dough through the machine while turning the crank in one fluid motion. Repeat at #3 and finish on #6.
(I have the craziest pasta machine ever! The numbers are backwards, so I start with #7. Took me minute to figure it out!)

Trim the ends to leave a rectangle shape. That way the ravioli will be square.

Place 1 tbsp. of filling on the dough approx. 1 inch apart.

A skinny rectangle and placing the filling closer together will make smaller ravioli. See photo!

Fold the dough over and press finger between filling.

My assistant Bella helped me! I assisted my grandparents in making thousands of dozens of ravioli. I remember the feel of the dough between my fingers, the smell of the dough, the smell of my grandparents, and the sputter of the pot of sauce cooking in the background. I knew with absolute certainty the taste and the bite of a perfectly cooked raviolo. I teach my kids and through repetition it will become easy for them. I hope they will make ravioli for and with their families, as I do, from the heart.

Cut with a knife into squares.

Press and seal the raviolo’s edges with a fork.

Press hard so that the dough adheres and so that the ravioli won’t lose their filling in the water!

Add the ravioli to salted boiling water and remove with a slotted spoon when the ravioli are floating.

When they are floating, spoon them out with a slotted spoon and add the second batch to the water. I cook 12-20 at a time (depending on the pot) to ensure even cooking.

Try saying that one five times fast! My foodie friend @NickyDCooks is responsible for my dinner tonight! She made zucchini blossoms for dinner and her action photos on twitter got me in the mood! I had to make some form of fried zucchini!

I grew up with this simple side! My grandma made fried zucchini all summer every summer!!

What is the most daunting task involved in stuffed pasta making? Boiling the noodles! Then stuffing them, while scalding hot, because I have no patience! I get this honestly from my grandma who can pull pans out of the oven without mitts. I think slowly we singe the skin and lose feeling.

If the art of making stuffed shells, manicotti, cannelloni required no boiling, I bet more people would cook these delicious dishes. So I did an experiment with my cannelloni today…

In the first tray, I boiled the noodles…

Do Not Overcook the shells if you boil, they will break while being stuffed. Also, al dente or even undercooked is fine because you are baking them in the oven.

In the other tray, I stuffed the uncooked, hard noodles.
The result?

Was it pure luck? Who knows! But it worked!

They turned out exactly the same!! NO BOILING REQUIRED!!
Now, was it the heavy filling I used as sauce? Was it the cheese? Was it the brand of noodles?

It could have been luck, but you better believe I will be trying the no boil method again!!

OK, What was the filling?

I did a crockpot cannelloni filling because we were headed to the pool for the day!

Directions:
Heat the crockpot on high for 10-25 minutes.
Add olive oil and sauté garlic in pot.(This method will not be like cooking in a frying pan, but it is better than throwing it all in with no prep)
Add chopped onion and cook until tender.
Add turkey and coat.
Add tomatoes, lentils and top with spices.

I layer when I use the crockpot versus mixing the ingredients together. There must be magic elves because when I come back, the contents are always beautifully mixed and flavorful! (I top with spices unless it’s a hunk of meat I push garlic cloves into the flesh or layer herbs right on the meat.)

Let cook 6-8 hours on high.

Later…
Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Take the lid off so any liquid evaporates.

Let that little bit of liquid cookoff as you are working.

Cook shells 4-6mins…Or don’t!!

Stuff shells with filling and place in a sauce lined baking dish.

Since my filling contained a tomato base, I did not also make a sauce. I just scooped more filling over the cannelloni before adding the cheese.